Bicycle.



No. 684,469. Patented Oct. 15, I90]. 6. SOUCY, In.

BICYCLE.

(Application filed Mar. 27, 1900.)

(in Model.) 4 Shaetu Shset i.

FB 7C I O I 21 ,1 o fl 13 t 0 5 -72 ZZJ 2 c E 0 XV Z1, 7%

o 6 V 0 A o o v y 0 Witnesses Inventor By 4 Attorney Patantad Oct. l5, 190i. (2. soucv, m. BICYCLE.

plication filed In. 27, 1900.)

4 Shaata-Shaot 2.

(l0 Model.) 1

Ptanted Dot. l5,190l. c. soucv, m. BICYCLE. (A ii ntim {ma 11 m, 1900.)

4smm-smu 3.

"'(Ho Model) I IhventQr No. 684,469. Patented Oct. l5, IQOI. c. soucv, m.

BICYCLE.

(Application filed Mar. 27, 1900.) '(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Witnegses y Inventor UNITED STATES ATENT rricn.

CYPRIEN SOUCY, JR, OF MANCHESTER, NElV HAMPSHIRE.

BICYCLE.

$PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 684,469, dated October 15, 1901.

A Application filed March 27,1900. Serial No- 10,375. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CYPRIEN SOUCY, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Bicyles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the forks and driving-gear of a bicycle, the object being to construct a bicycle-frame which shall be yielding forward and back of the crank-shaft, thus dispensing with the necessity for using pneumatic tires.

Many riders would prefer to ride upon some sort of a yielding seat or frame if they could get the comfort afforded by relief from the severe jar imparted to a rider of a rigid frame and saddle in passing over rough roads or through roughly-paved city streets without the accompanying disadvantages of such constructions.

The objections which are commonly raised against spring saddles or spring seat-posts are that the distance between the crank-shaft and the saddle is constantly varying, thus making it more tiresome and difficult for a rider to propel his bicycle.

In bicycle frames as now constructed the distance between the crank-shaft and the ground is at all times equal; butby constructing a frame in which the distance from the crank-shaft t0 the saddle is unchangable (except as the saddle-post may be adjusted according to the requirements of a rider) and providing yielding Wheel-forks the objections against the use of springs of any form heretofore mentioned are effectively overcome.

The invention involves the use of a pivotally-connected and spring-actuated rear fork and a spring-actuated front fork, permitting the perch (carrying with it the crank-shaft hanger and seat) to move vertically toward and away from the ground; but this construction alone without any change in the form of driving-gear would cause a constantly-varying movement of the crank-shaft forward or backward either faster-or slower than its natural rotative course relative to the rotation of the driving-Wheel at any given speed, and this jerky movement of the crank-shaft, however slight it might be, would be sufficient to be felt by a rider having his feet upon the pedals. Hence my invention consists, broadly, in an improved construction for bicycle-frames whereby the stroke of the leg of a rider may be at all times equal, while his body may be supported in a manner equivalent to the ease and comfort afforded by a spring-saddle or spring seat-post, and in providing a novel form of driving-gear by which said results are. attained.

The invention will be fully set forth in the following specification and claims and clearly illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the same, of which- Figure 1 is an elevation showing my improved bicycle frame and gearing with broken portions of the wheels. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view showing a portion of myimproved front fork and its spring-actuated connection. Fig. 3 is a broken front elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken sectional elevation showing the spring-adj usting mechanism adapted to act upon the rear fork. Fig. 5 is an enlarged broken rear elevation of those parts shown in Fig. 4.. Figs. 6 and 7are detailed broken elevations of a portion of the front fork. Fig. is a detail of a portion of the front fork shown in central Vertical section.

Similar reference-letters denote corresponding parts in all the views.

A represents the wheels. B is the upper tube, 0 the lower tube, and D the head or socket, carrying the front fork and to which one end of the tubes B O are brazed in the usual manner.

E is the perch,and F the crank-shafthanger, to which the lower end of said perch and the tube 0 are attached by a brazed joint, the upper end of said perch being connected to the rear end of the upper tube B by brazed union.

G is the rear fork, which is pivotally connected at g to the perch E and at a point above thebracket F, as shown.

11 represents the rear-fork stay, which is pivotally connected at h to the rear fork, the upper end of said stay being loosely mounted and capable of longitudinal movement with in a steel casting I, said casting being brazed to the perch E and containing novel spring mechanism, to be hereinafter explained.

The normal position of therear fork G is horizontal, as seen in Fig. 1; but its free end, to which the stay H is attached, may yield upward against the pressure of some suitable spring, with which the upper end it of the stay H may be connected, and the front fork is likewise so constructed that it may be acted upon by a suitable spring. The spring mechanismfor each fork may be of different construction; but in the present drawings I show practically the same spring mechanism for both forks, and this consists in or comprises helical springs adapted to rotate a peripherally-grooved cam and a chain or wire cable connecting the grooved cam with either the movable portion of the front fork or the upper end 72/ of the rear-fork stay H, as shown.

i to the demands of various riders.

The bracket I, which incloses the spring mechanism, may be conveniently formed by casting it of steel, and it is provided with a perforation i, in which the upper end h of the stay I-Ifinds its bearing, and at one side with a detachable plate or cover i, which may be secured thereto by screws, as seen in Figs. 1 and 4. Hollow projections t are formed one upon the bracket I and one upon the cover 77 and disposed one opposite to the other, the ends of said projections being perforated for the reception ofa shaft J, and upon this shaft is mounted a sleeve K, to the central portion of which is attached a grooved cam L. At each side of said cam and upon the sleeve K is placed a helical spring M, one end of each spring being connected at Z to the cam and the other end being connected at 2' to the projection '5 of the bracket I, and a chain or wire cable N has one of its ends attached at Z to the grooved cam and at the other end to the upper end h of the stay H, as at 71. the relative position of the cam to the top of the stay being such as to cause the springs MM to be wound or their tension increased with the upward movement of said stay within the bracket, and vice versa, this increase of tension being somewhat equalized to the weight of various riders by the use of the grooved cam over which the chain or cable N passes to the upper end h of the stay II.

The front fork comprises an inside and outside member, respectively, 0 P, the former carrying the front wheel and being adapted to move vertically within the latter. The inside fork O has a head 0, provided with a longitudinal groove 0 in its front face, and said head fits within the hollow head 1) of the outside fork P. Said outside fork has bearings P at its lower end, as shown in Fig. 6, to which the inside fork is fitted, and said outside portion of the front fork carries at its upper end a plate Q, secured thereto by screws, as seen in Fig. 3, and upon this plate are formed hollow projections q, extending from opposite sides of a recess or cam-chamber q, and in the hollow projections q is mounted a shaft R, upon which is loosely mounted a sleeve 5, provided at its central portion with a cam S, having an annular groove in which a chain or cable T may rest, said cable being connected at one end to said cam, as at s, and at the other end to the upper end of the groove 0' of the head 0 of the inner fork, as at 0 (Shown best in Fig. 2.)

I will now speak of the driving mechanism. If the driving-chain U should pass around a small sprocket Von the rear wheel and thence around a larger sprocket on the crank-shaft, a jerky motion of the pedals would be felt by a rider quite as severely as when riding an ordinary bicycle provided with a spring saddle or seat-post, and to avoid this I employ a small sprocket V, which is mounted upon the pivotal connection 9 of the rear fork G and at a point above the crank-shaft, said sprocket V having teeth equal in number to those of the sprocket V, and upon this sprocket I provide side teeth 0, which are adapted to engage teeth or rolls w, projecting from the side of a large driving-gearX, which is mounted upon the crank-shaft W, the number of the teeth or rolls 00 upon this gear X determining whether the wheel shall be either high or low gear. A pair of helical springs S are mounted upon the sleeve 3, one at either side of the cam S, one end of either spring being connected at s to said cam and their opposite ends being connected at g to either end of the hollow projections q of the plate Q, and to prevent any friction of the cable T against the lower part of the head 1) of the fork P when the head 0 moves upward therein the fork P may be recessed, as at p, to receive journal-bearings 19 in which to mount a shaft 10 carrying a friction-roll 13 against which the cable T will ride, the foregoing construction being clearly illustrated in Figs. 2,6, and 7.

Having described my improvements, what I claim is-- 1. In a bicycle, a front fork composed of two members one vertically movable within the other, a springactuated peripherallygrooved cam mounted upon one member, the spring for actuating said cam, and a chain or wire cable connecting the grooved periphery of said cam with the movable member of said fork, substantially for the purpose set forth.

2. In a bicycle, a pivotally-attached rear fork carrying a pivoted rear stay, a bracket rigidly secured to the perch and havinga per foration serving as a loose bearing for the upper end of saidpivoted stay, a spring-am eeeees tuated peripherally-grooved cam mounted in said bracket and av chain or wire cable eonnecting the cam with the vertically-movable rear stay,

3. In a spring-frame for bicycles, means for Y automatically graduating the tension of the springs to the Weight of various riders, comprising spring-actuated cams, whereby the \Vitnesses:

J. B. THURSTON, EMILE H. TARDIVEL. 

